Exercising apparatus.



No. 629,655. Patented July 25, I899.

' w. .1. BRYON, 1R.

EXERGISING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Jan. 21, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheat I.

(No Moduli) c w WM? 14/ a l M WITNESSES: rz a/gh Pat ented luly 25, I899.

W.-J. BBYDN, .IR. EXERCISING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Jan 21, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 8haBts-She.st 2.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR M ATTOR N EY v WW3 5M q UNITE STATES.

PATENT OFF- CE.

WILLIAM J. BRYON, JR., OF N W-Yemen. Y.

ExERoisme APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Iletters Patent No. 629,655, dated July 25,1899.

Application filed January 21, 1898. serial No. 667,384. (No model.)

ful Improvements in Exercising Apparatus, of which the following description, taken in connection with the drawingsherewith accompanying, is a specification. 1 ThlS invention relates to that class of exercising apparatus comprising an operating rope or ropes arranged to operate over pul-' leys and having connection with a suitable resistance'medium. In thisclassofapparatus it is desirable to have two independent means.

of resistance, whereby each hand of the operator may act free and independent of the other. This hasheretofore been accomplished in a so-called single apparatus by perma nently fasteningtwo separate or single apparatuses upon two boards, which latter are adapted to be screwed or otherwise'secured upon the wall and fioor, respectively, or uponsome other desired supports. Such anapparatus is undesirable, however, in many instances, for the reason that it is not readily adjustable from place to place, and, further, onaccount of its weight and bulkiness itis not as portable as is desirable.

Having the above inmind, it has been the principal object of my present invention to provide an apparatus havingmeans whereby both hands of the user may have a free actionindependent of each other, that may be detachably supported in operative position between two hooks or similar supporting means, and be capable of beingplaced withina very small space when detached from its operative position, so as'to be extremely portable and convenient for carrying and shipping.

A further object of my invention is to render such an apparatus capable of every variety of motion that can be obtained bythe use of single and double apparatus combined and to otherwise so improvethe details of construction of the same as to render them more desirable and capable of the uses for which they are intended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents an exercising apparatus embodying myinvent ion. Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, and Gare detail views of different parts of the apparatus to be hereinafter referred to.

apparatus comprises two con nected independently-acting parts or apparatuses, each of "which is constructed as follows: A. pulleybe detachably connected with a loose frame or bracket a. A second pulley-block d,having an eye or hook d at one end thereof, is connected with a book '6' at the upper end or opposite end is connected with a second loose frame or bracket a; An operatingrope f, having a hook f at one end thereof, which is connected with the eye 0 0E the pulpulley sheave d in the block d up over the pulley-sheave c in the block c,and provided with a-hook flat its free end for th'econnection therewith of ahandle g. I The said loose ffram es a and a each consist, as herein shown, of apiece of wire bent to form acentral loop orieyed 'for detachable'connection with a fixed hook or other support and with its ends extending laterally at'opposit-esides of said eye and then bent to form either a hook or an eye, according to the construction of the ends'being formed into hooks a a on the frame afor the'conn'ection of the eyes on the pulley-blocks c o and into eyesat'a on the frame a for'the'connection of the hooks e e at the lower end of the elastic ropes e e. will-beobvious', however, that the construction of these loose frames may be materially modified without departure from my invention, as a frame having means for uniting two apparatuses of the character described and hooks or similar supports, whereby the apcapable of being readilyplaced in or removed from an operative position, I consider .to be within the scope of my invention.

The apparatus as described may beplaced in position in any part of a room or other I place by simply fastening two hooks h and h As shown in the drawings, my improved block 0, having a swiveled eye 0 and c sup 1 ported at opposite ends thereof, is adapted to ley-blockc, is thenpassed down under the connecting partof the apparatuses, the saidv detachably supporting the same between two paratusas a whole is rendered portable and 'of' anelasticrope e, which latter at its lower center of one of the pulley-blocks c.

in a desiredvposition and then slipping or placing the eyes of the frames at and a in connection therewith, as shown.

.The two independently-acting parts of the apparatus beingsupported in detachable connection with the frames at and a, as described, allow one of such parts to be disconnected from the said frames and supported upon two hooks or eyes in a position opposite the other part, and thus enables the apparatus to be used as what is termed splitsi. 8., the two parts be so located that'the user may takeaposition between the same. The construction of the apparatus also allows the same as a whole to be reversed from the position shown in Fig. 1 by simply changing the frames at and a to the-opposite supporting-hooks, and thus allow the same to be used for what is termed floor or rowingexercise.

In order that the resistance afforded by the elastics may be changed or varied to adapt the apparatus for different persons or for.different forms of exercise, I have provided the hooks or couplings e e at the opposite ends of the elastics c with a loop or eye (3 for the detachable connection therewith of a second elastic 6 which latter is provided with hooks e e at each end thereof for connection with said eyes e By this construction if it is desired to decrease the weight or resistance the user may simply uncouple one end of the elastic e as shown in Fig. 1, withoutinter; fering with the other parts of theapparatus. Another and important featureof the particular means of connection between the two tend at an angle'to each other, as will be readily understood.

The double or connected elastics, asde scribed, may also be disconnected fromthe apparatus and the detachable handles connected therewith, as shown in Fig. 2, and thus form a complete apparatus for certain forms of exercise.

Thepulley-sheaves of my improved apparatus are provided withself-lu bricating axles,

as more clearly shown in Fig. 5, which latter is a longitudinal sectional view through the These axles consist of a hollow tube or axle L ,Whi(3l1 is supported at its ends within openings in the opposite sides of the pulley-blocks and adapted to containvaseline or other lubricant for the purpose of lubricating the sheaves through openings 2' 2' This axle is closed at one end by a nut 2' which is screwed'into the same, and at its opposite end is exteriorly threaded, as at i', to have a screw-c nnection with the pulley-block.- A jam-nut 2' screwed into the threaded opening i in the ,block against the end of the axle, closes the latter and locks the same from undue movement.

The operating-ropes ff are each provided with a rounded block or ball mthereon at a point between the. handle and the pulleyblock 0, so as to limit the movement of the ropebackward through the latter and. hold the parts in proper position and connection relative to each other. These blocks according to my invention are held from movement in one direction on the rope in a manner as follows: A split ring n is first clampedupon the rope in a desired position, (see Fig. 6, which represents a section .of the rope with the block thereon in cross-section,) and the block m, provided with a tapering. opening m, is then slipped onto the rope and over the said split ring n thereon. The shape of the opening on in the block tends to wedge the latter more closely upon the ring in the event of the blocks coming into contact withthe pulleyblocks. i p

The loops or eyes a of the loose frames aand a are elongated, so as to permit of their bein g readilyplaced over the supporting-hooks, and aremadebut slightly wider than the hooks, so as to'fit closelythereon and be held In this manner theframes, and thereby the apparatus, are firmly from undue turning.

supported in proper position, .'Referring to Fig. 71 hzwe shown the loose When the ropes are connected directly with the frame a, asdescribed,thedownward strain that would be produced bythe. same upon the pulleys if connected with the latter is avoided, thereby allowing said pulleys more freed om to swing outward from the wall when the apparatus is beinglused.

Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is i y 1. A portable exercising apparatus, comprising two sets of pulleys and connections, and a pair of attaching frames or brackets to which the two sets of pulleys and connections are separately connected, provided with means for detachable'connection with a suitable support, each set of pulleys and connections com prising a pair of pulleys, a non-elastic rope running over said pulleys and having one end connected with a vertically stationary part of the apparatus and its opposite end provided with a handle, and an elastic c011- nection attached at one end to one of the pulleys and at its opposite end to one of the attaching frames or brackets, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

[00 frame a providedwith two eyes a a for the 2. In a portable exercising apparatus, the combination with two attaching frames or brackets, of two sets of ropes and pulleys, handles on the ropes, and two sets of interchangeable elastic connections attached at one end to the pulleys and at the opposite end to one of the frames or brackets, each set consisting of a plurality of members capable of being employed individually or collectively.

3. A portable exercising apparatus, comprising an elastic cord provided with terminal couplings, each having an integral loop at one side thereof, and an auxiliary elastic cord havin g terminal couplings for detachable connection with said loops of the first-mentioned couplings, for the purpose set forth.

4. In a portable exercising apparatus, the

' combination with ropes and pulleys, and elas- WILLIAM J. BRYON, JR.

. lVitnesses:

CHAS. F. DANE, E. STEVENS. 

